


jealousy rears ahead

by reginaswanmills



Series: little one, big world [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Non-Sexual Submission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24008665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginaswanmills/pseuds/reginaswanmills
Summary: It was completely and utterly ridiculous to be getting jealous over her kid brother. He was barely able to hold a conversation with the woman, let alone make any attempts to truly steal her family away. Yet, this kid had already been a replacement with their parents, and he was getting pretty cozy in Regina’s lap.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Series: little one, big world [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765618
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	jealousy rears ahead

**Author's Note:**

> this is a non-sexual oneshot. this does contain a bit of little space, but emma is pretty much clear headed in this one. it is non-sexual submission, and non-sexual intimacy between emma and regina. 
> 
> this could possibly be read as a romantic swan queen shot, but there is nothing that explicitly states they are in a dating relationship. the word ‘relationship’ is used to describe them, because i believe friendship is not a strong enough word for their vulnerable bond. therefore, their relationship is very vulnerable and emotional, and built on a lot of safety and trust. 
> 
> in this, emma’s jealousy over her kid brother is not to be taken as normal sibling rivalry. let’s not forget emma has abandonment issues. she’s had trust and authority issues in the past, and that does not mean she is simply acting out to have regina all to herself. she doesn’t want to only keep regina for herself, nor does she want neal to never have their parents involved in his life. what she is feeling is perfectly valid, considering her childhood and situation. 
> 
> she is feeling replaced, as she had felt in her childhood. this follows no specific season or set canon / storyline. killian and robin do not exist in this shot. this is set when neal is three, and henry is being changed to about fifteen for the purpose of this shot.

Emma feels as if she is the green eyed monster she’d heard about in stories as a young child, as she watches the scene playing out in front of her. Regina, in casual wear only a select few people could ever catch her wearing, sitting on the couch with Emma’s brother; Neal, because her parents had not been too considerate in his name choice, sitting on her lap. 

Her mother had dressed him in a plaid shirt and denim jeans, despite the fact that Emma had said they would be playing outside in the dirt. Not even two hours in, the kid had Cheeto dust and mud running down every inch of fabric, but Regina had conjured him up a clean shirt. 

They’d played with the blocks for awhile, read a few of Henry’s old books, and watched a few cartoons. Now, as the time was nearing closer for her parents to come pick him up, the boy was giggling as Regina tickled his side and made silly faces. 

It was beautiful, seeing Regina so carefree and motherly. She was glad that Regina took so well to Neal, and that Neal took well to her. It’s not that she wanted Regina to be isolated from Neal or the rest of the family by extension; but, rather, she wished, in this exact moment, that she’d never agreed to babysit today. 

She wishes that it was just her and Regina, and Henry, once he returned from Grace’s house, watching a movie that didn’t involve cartoon figures. She wishes that she could be laying on the couch, head in Regina’s lap, as it had been many times before, and enjoying her Saturday. 

It’s not that she didn’t enjoy spending time with her brother. It’s that she always felt her jealousy spike up around him. She was jealous over the fact that he could live such a carefree and happy childhood, that he had his parents raising him from the start, and that he never had to be abandoned or rejected. It wasn’t the hatred jealousy, because Emma could never hate his adorable dimples or bright blue eyes. It wasn’t even the fact that she wanted him gone, because she would badly injure anyone who tried to make that happen. 

At times, her jealousy was unexplainable. She didn’t know what she wanted. 

In the moment, she knew that Regina had paid extra special attention to her this morning — running a brush through her hair, kissing her temple, assuring they could come up with a quick excuse to pass Neal off to Ruby for the day. She knew Regina had not ignored her since Neal had been there. She still pulled Emma aside while Neal was distracted with his toys, kissing her forehead and checking in to ensure she was alright. She still engaged in soft conversations, and sent her the special smiles, and even told Emma to come sit with them on the couch. 

Emma couldn’t. She couldn’t sit with them on the couch without feeling her chest grow heavy and her eyes water, and Neal would ask her what was wrong in the way only a toddler could, and Regina’s concern would be on high alert. She would ruin their good day, and it was almost time for the kid to leave anyway.

“Em-ma!” She blinked at the sound of her brother yelling her name, breaking it into two syllables slowly. “Em-ma, sit!” 

He patted the empty cushions beside him. Emma shifted in her chair. Regina would definitely be able to detect how uncomfortable she was. It was a skill the woman had learned long ago. Regina could always sense her anxiety, and she always knew how to soothe it. 

“Not today, buddy! My chair is really comfy!” She exaggerated on some of her words, upholding the least bit normal of their conversations. 

Neal frowned, opening his mouth to protest again, but the sound of a car door slammed shut outside. Emma knew what was coming, an onslaught of praises about how well behaved her brother had been, and then Neal would most likely be upset that he had to leave. 

“Oh, did you hear that?” Regina continued in her childish tone, tickling his sides once again. “I think that’s your Mommy and Daddy! Let’s go see!” She stood, adjusting the boy on her hip. “Tell your sister bye bye!” 

She crossed the few feet to Emma‘s chair, holding Neal carefully as he leaned over to give her a high five. She bent down to Emma’s ear, lips pressing a kiss to her head in the process. 

“I will be right back, and we will be talking.” There it was. Regina hadn’t missed the pout Emma tried desperately to rid from her lips. She hadn’t missed the longing glances, or the way Emma refrained from initiating any sort of physical contact when in Neal’s presence.

Unable to speak, she offered a weak smile as Regina carried her brother out the door. She didn’t seem mad, but concerned. Emma’s well-being, including both physical and emotional, was always a priority to her. It had scared Emma at first, because her well-being was never a priority to anyone before, until she’d met her family. 

( “You are so important to me, my sweet Emma,” Regina’s voice was soft in her ear, hands gently running through tangled blonde tresses. “You are so important to so many people. You are so loved, so wanted.” 

Emma was choking out sobs, tears staining the brunette’s shirt. “Not to them!” The news of her mother’s pregnancy had hit hard. Emma was understandably upset. Not just over the fact that her parents had done it so publicly, in front of the entirety of Storybrooke; but, also, Regina knew her insecurities were rising to the surface. 

It would be a long night of assuring Emma she was not some lost little orphan girl. She was not a foster kid anymore. She was Emma Swan, a mother to Henry, and one of the very most important people to Regina. She was Regina’s sweet Emma Swan, and no other person could ever take her place. Even if her parents were found a bit overworked with the new baby, she would always have Regina and Henry. ) 

Regina and Henry had been her only constants. Many nights, Emma had turned up in tears at the front door, simply needing Regina to hold her, because of the rejection she’d faced at the loft. Sometimes, David would be understandably busy with Neal, and Emma would be understandably upset, and Regina would step in to fill Emma’s empty lunch date. Or, Snow would fawn over Neal in front of everybody, broadcasting how great it was to be a first time parent, and Regina would pull Emma aside and into her arms until her shaking stopped. 

Sometimes, it’s wasn’t tears or sadness. Sometimes, it was anger. Red, hot, fiery anger that left Emma with frustrated tears and meltdowns she only ever had in front of Regina. It left her snappy, irritated, and in a position to follow Regina’s firmly direct orders; until Emma calmed down enough that Regina could soften. 

Emma didn’t know which she hated more — the ache in her heart, or the frustration spreading throughout her limbs. 

“Breathe, Emma.” The silky smooth voice behind her ear. The comforting hand running between her shoulder blades. Bright green eyes turned to look at her. Neal was gone. Regina had a look of patience and care. “You are so worked up and tense right now, sweetheart. Do you want to take a nap?” 

She didn’t ask if she needed it. If Emma needed it, Regina would tell her. If Emma needed it, she would be undoubtedly miserable and cranky from lack of sleep. If Emma needed it, Regina would know. 

Shaking her head, Emma’s hand found Regina’s free one. She brought two fingers to twist the silver ring with Henry’s birthstone on it, playing with the band as Regina continued to rub the top of her back. 

“You’re having dinner here tonight, with me and Henry,” Regina informed quietly. She kept her hand interlocked with Emma’s but used the other to maneuver Emma to scoot over. She took a seat between the arm of the chair and Emma’s body, allowing Emma to relax against her. 

A blonde head wound up resting on her shoulder, face turned into her neck, where she could breathe in Regina’s calming perfume. Regina’s free arm tucked between Emma’s back and the chair, and she used her fingers to rub little circles under Emma’s shirt, against her bare skin. Emma’s free hand rested atop Regina’s shirt, over her stomach. 

This position was familiar for them, calming even. It was letting Emma know that Regina was here, with her, comforting her, and bringing her down from whatever edge she had been on. 

“Jealous,” Emma mumbled against Regina’s shoulder, closing her eyes. 

Regina hummed lightly. “I know. You don’t have to be jealous where I am concerned. I am here with you. You are here with me. I will never have this with Neal. I will only ever have this with you.” 

This emotional connection they have. This bond that runs deep, deeper than either had ever experienced before. Neither of them want to have this with anyone else. 

She dropped a kiss to the top of Emma’s blonde curls. “You are my Emma. My sweet, kind Emma. Anytime you are feeling this way, you know you can come to me. You and Henry will always be my number one priority.” 

A nod against her shoulder. Emma still has her eyes closed, pushing back the hot tears welling up in her eyes. She doesn’t want to cry over this. She’d cried over her kid brother enough. 

Regina’s fingers stop dancing across her back. Instead, her warm palm makes contact with the smooth skin. She rubs slow circles, ones that never fail to help Emma calm down. 

“Nothing will ever change that. Nobody will ever change that. Not your mother. Not your father. Not even your brother.” Another kiss. Emma stops playing with her ring, and now grips her hand tightly. “You belong here, Emma. As long as you want to be, you belong with Henry and I.”


End file.
